Photoshop basics

Today's illo is a demonstration of 3-point perspective I made in Adobe ImageReady out of an ad from a travel flyer. Dig that implied zenith, everyone!

Here's where I provide you all the basics for turning your scanned art into a beautiful Photoshop-colored comics page. The text file linked to below will help you decide whether to work in big, bulky layers or sleek, time-saving (but more complicated) channels. This document also discusses how to choose whether to work in RGB or the larger, slower CMYK. It has all the basic steps for setting up and finishing a comics page in Photoshop. And as I mentioned, you can always call me with questions at 362-5633; I love thinking and talking about Photoshop.

Download Bink's Photoshop Primer (pronounced "primmer," BTW) You will probably need to copy this into a new text doctument so the lines wrap.

For our Photoshop lab day, you will need to work with one of these two files, linked below, or bring in one of your own that follows their example. So either way, you'll need to download at least one. They are meant to show the difference in setup between the two methods. If you want to keep things more simple and intuitive, use the second. If you've got a solid grounding in Photoshop and want to color like a pro, use the first. BTW, I would never recommend working in layers and CMYK, because that would be the biggest, slowest-saving file possible. So my specimen CMYK file is in channels, leaving layers for RGB, though one could just as well do RGB in channels too. Confused yet?

Download Bink's CMYK-channels sample Photoshop file
Stuffit of same (quicker download)

Download Bink's RGB-layers sample Photoshop file
Stuffit of same (quicker download)

I will also have these ready for download in the computer lab on our Photoshop day, projected for 5 December. But to get the maximum learning (and grade) from Photoshop day, you would be well advised to download them well before then. That way you can either finish flatting one of these, i.e., replacing the random placeholder colors with your choice of colors, OR following the example of one of these files to set up a file with a scan of your own choosing, ideally your own work.

The text file linked above explains how to finish the flatting process. I'd like to devote the lab time to the second step, modeling aka rendering, aka painting, rather than mere flatting, which is monkey work.

We're confirmed by Dax for a clothed figure drawing day, 17 October. Model will be Frank, who's good.

See you Tuesday,

JH